YEAR 8 ENGLISH - MULTICULTURALISM

image:http://www.flickr.com/photos/moomin/ May 7, 2008

Who is a Refugee?

Throughout history, whenever people have fled from war or persecution, there have been refugees. However, it wasn't until 1951, just after World War Two, that the international community formally recognised the status of these people. The United Nations approved the Convention outlining the Status of Refugees on July 28, 1951 at a special conference set up to deal with the one million people left homeless by the war.

Article One of the Convention defines a refugee as:
A person who is outside his/her country of nationality or habitual residence; has a well founded fear of persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group of political opinion;and is unable or unwilling to avail himself/herself of the protection of that country, or to return there, for fear of persecution.

http://www.abc.net.au/triplej/realappeal/refugeestories/default.htm

READ SOME TRUE STORIES ABOUT REFUGEES

Australia
REFUGEE ACTION COMMITTEE
http://www.refugeeaction.org/stories/refugee_stories.htm

Naina’s story - The daily life of a child in detention (2003)
http://www.refugeeaction.org/inside/naina.htm

AKBAR'S STORY (2003)
http://www.refugeeaction.org/stories/akbar.htm

Mother pleads for her son's release
http://www.refugeeaction.org/stories/mother.htm

UK
Published by the Refugee Communities History Project
http://www.refugeestories.org/

Australian Refugee Association Inc.
http://www.ausref.net/

Look for the multicultural genre sticker on the fiction collection for more stories.